Elizabeth Schuttler's Spicy Sardine and Kale Meatballs on Top of Homemade Wheat Bread Pasta with a Creamy Kabocha Squash Sauce and Garnish of Crispy Kale and Breadcrumbs

• Recipes appear exactly as presented to the Cook of the Week Challenge judges.

Spicy Sardine Kale Meatballs

2 cans King Oscar Sardines in Tapatio Hot Sauce

2 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon lemon zest

1 cup wheat bread breadcrumbs (directions below)

6 kale leaves stems trimmed and chopped in 1" wide strips

1 shallot minced

2 garlic cloves minced

¼ cup prosciutto pan fried and chopped

1 teaspoon capers drained

½ cup parmesan cheese grated

1 tablespoon white wine (sauvignon blanc preferred)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon clarified butter

Canola oil for frying

Preheat oven to 400°

Remove sardines from can to a strainer and drain sauce. Lightly rinse sardines with cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Place sardines in bowl. Pour lemon juice and lemon zest over the sardines. Let sit for 10 minutes.

In heavy sauté pan on medium heat melt 1 tablespoon of clarified butter and add shallots. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the shallots turn golden brown. Add kale and garlic cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

To make the wheat breadcrumbs take 6 pieces of dense wheat bread and lightly brush olive oil over both sides and lay flat on baking sheet. Place in oven until both sides are toasted about 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Once cooled place in food processor on high for 30 - 45 seconds.

In a food processor with wheat breadcrumbs add sardines in lemon juice and zest, kale, shallots, garlic, prosciutto, capers, parmesan cheese, white wine, salt and pepper. Pulse 10 times or until all ingredients are mixed. Do not over mix. Divide into 12 round meatballs. If the mixture is to wet add a little more breadcrumbs if to dry add a little more white wine. Place meatballs in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Take meatballs out of refrigerator. In a medium skillet on medium high heat add canola oil 1/2" deep. When oil starts to lightly bubble add meatballs. Turning every 2 minutes to brown on all sides. Place in oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven right before ready to serve.

Squash Pasta Sauce

½ Kabocha Squash

1 shallot minced

1 tablespoon clarified butter

½ cup white wine (sauvignon blanc preferred)

1 clove garlic minced

Pinch red pepper flakes

½ jalapeno pepper sliced in half and seeded

½ cup heavy cream

1 cup half and half

6 kale leaves stems trimmed and chopped in 1" wide strips

¼ cup prosciutto pan fried and chopped

Preheat oven to 400°

Place the whole kabocha squash in the microwave for 3 minutes to soften. Cut in half and remove seeds and pulp. Place one half of squash flesh side down on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until tender and cooked through.

Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool enough to handle cut the squash diagonally into 1" wedges then vertically 1" cubes removing the skin.

In heavy sauté pan on medium heat melt clarified butter add shallots and cook 3-4 minutes or until shallots start to brown. Deglaze the pan with white wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add squash, garlic, red pepper flakes, jalapeno, heavy cream and half and half. Reduce to simmer and cook 4-5 minutes stirring sauce. Remove the jalapeno. Place sauce in blender and puree until smooth and strain. Place ¾ sauce back in sauté pan and add kale and prosciutto and cook for 2-3 minutes or kale is soft and wilted. The remaining sauce place in bowl and save for plating later.

Crispy Kale Garnish

6 kale leaves trimmed

Good olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400° Lay kale leaves flat on baking sheet drizzle olive oil over and rub on leaves. Sprinkle salt and pepper and place in oven for 10 minutes or until leaves are crisp and bright in color. Do not brown the kale. Let cool then break into pieces.

Parmesan Breadcrumb Garnish

2 pieces wheat bread

1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan cheese

Good olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

To make the wheat bread crumbs take wheat bread and lay flat on baking sheet. Place in oven at 400° until both sides are toasted. Remove from oven and cool. Once cooled place in food processor pulse 10 times or until roughly chopped. Mix in parmesan cheese. In medium size heavy sauté pan heat oil on medium heat. When oil is hot place breadcrumb and parmesan mix in pan. Let sit for 30 seconds in pan and stir. Continue to stir every 15 seconds until evenly brown. Remove from heat, place on a plate and cool.

Homemade Wheat Bread Pasta

**The homemade pasta can be substituted for boxed regular or wheat fettuccine. Cook pasta according to directions on package. Do not forget to add sea salt to boiling water before adding the pasta. When pasta is done remove from pot with tongs or pasta spoon and place in large skillet. Do not strain.

**Recommend making fresh pasta in advance and placing in the refrigerator or freezer. Will keep in refrigerator for two days and freezer for one month.

1 cup whole wheat breadcrumb flour (directions below)

1 cup Italian 00 white flour or regular white flour

Dash of hot sauce (optional)

2 large eggs

Pinch salt

Special equipment - Pasta machine

To make the wheat breadcrumb flour take 6 pieces of dense wheat bread and lay flat on baking sheet. Place in oven at 400° until both sides are toasted. Remove from oven and cool. Once cooled place in food processor on high for 1 minute, pulse and put back on high for 1 minute more. The breadcrumbs should resemble a coarse flour.

In a ceramic or glass mixing bowl place wheat breadcrumb flour, white flour and pinch of salt. Mix all ingredients together and make a well in the bowl. In a small bowl whisk the eggs and hot sauce together. Gradually pour egg and hot sauce mixture into the well of the flour mixture. With a wooden spoon stir the ingredients together until incorporated. Remove wooden spoon and start to mix the pasta dough together with hands until everything is absorbed. Remove dough from bowl and place on white floured surface. Knead the dough with hands for 10 minutes. If dough starts to stick to the counter dust counter with white flour. Cut dough in half and check for air bubbles. If you see a lot air bubbles keep kneading. Knead dough until dough has little air bubbles. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Cut dough into 4 pieces. With a rolling pin flatten each piece of the dough to ¼' thick. Dust with white flour on both sides. Pass each piece of dough through pasta machine starting at setting "0" four times. Each time folding dough in half lengthwise before passing through pasta machine again. If the dough is to wet when passing through pasta machine dust with white flour on both sides. Next pass dough through pasta machine on setting 2 twice. Then pass dough through pasta machine on setting 4 twice. Finally pass dough through pasta machine setting 5 once. After each piece of dough is done being passed through pasta machine lightly flour on both sides and stack together on counter and cover with plastic wrap. Attach fettuccine cutter to pasta machine. Gradually pass each piece of dough through fettuccine cutter and gently place on white floured baking sheet. Dust all pasta on baking sheet with white flour. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

To cook fresh pasta bringing water to boil in a large pot and generously add sea salt. Place all pasta in boiling water at the same time. Use tongs to separate and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Do not strain. Remove pasta from pot with tongs or pasta spoon and place in large skillet.

To plate top pasta with creamy squash sauce with kale and prosciutto mix well. Place three large spoonfuls of pasta on each plate. Take a fork and turn to form a round circle. Place meatball on top of pasta and garnish plates drizzling remaining creamy squash sauce, crispy Kale and parmesan breadcrumbs.

Serves 4

Elizabeth Schuttler